Our President attended the Opening of 2010-2011 Academic Year and Groundbreaking Ceremony of Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the Chancellor’s Building.
Our President is at our University Our Honorable President Mr. Abdullah Gül has graced us with his presence at the opening of 2010-2011 Academic Year as well as the Groundbreaking Ceremony of Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the Chancellor’s Building.
The opening of 2010-2011 Academic Year and Groundbreaking Ceremony of Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the Chancellor’s Building were held on October 25, 2010, Monday at Kiliclar Conference Hall of our University.
The ceremony held with the participation of Turkish President Mr. Abdullah Gül, his Reverend Spouse/Madam Hayrünnisa Gül, Assistant to the Member of Parliament from Mardin Asst. Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Yüksel, Member of Parliament from Mardin Gönül Bekin Şahkulubey, Mardin Governor Hasan Duruer, Mardin Mayor M. Beşir Ayanoglu, our Chancellor Prof. Dr.Serdar Bedii Omay, GENPA Holding Board Chairman Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) Vice President Adalet Polat, chancellors of various universities, President of GAP Administration Sadettin Karahocagil, District Governors, District Mayors, Directors of Public Bodies and Institutions, our Vice Chancellors, scholars, personnel, Mardin public and our students, was also followed by the members of press.
Our Chancellor Prof. Dr. Serdar Bedii Omay, and his spouse Madam Asuman Omay, our Vice Chancellors Prof. Dr. Mustafa Oflaz, Prof. Dr.Kadri Yıldırım, Prof. Dr. Gürbüz Aksoy and officers from our University welcomed our President Mr. Abdullah Gül and his Reverend Spouse/Madam Hayrünnisa Gül at the entrance of our University. After President Mr. Abdullah Gül wrote his feelings and opinions on the book of honor, he visited the office of our Chancellor Serdar Bedii Omay. During this visit, our Chancellor presented a vase to President Mr. Abdullah Gül and Asuman Omay presented a silver jewelry set to Mrs. Hayrünnisa Gül. The ceremony, starting with a moment of silence and Independence March, continued with the concert of Reyhani Music Group from our University covering melodies and folk songs in Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and Syriac.
Following the promotional movie of our University, Faculty of Architecture Deputy Dean Asst. Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Düzenli, going up to the rostrum to deliver the opening lecture of the Academic Year, presented his lecture titled “Construction of Information and Architecture from 17th Century up till Today”. The subtitle of the lecture was interesting: Do not give much credit to geometry / Give reason to geometry: Booklet of Architecture. At the opening lecture, Duzenli noted that architecture, as a form of art, is not only related to positive sciences but also (in addition) to insight and feelings. During the presentation of Dr. Duzenli, to which our President and the spectators paid close attention, samples from Ottoman architecture and particularly references made to the text titled Booklet of Architecture (17th century) deemed to be written by Cafer Aga drew attention.
President Gül: This University is a candidate to become a university of social sciences. Just as each institution, country and city, universities may also bring one subject to the forefront by comparative advantage. I see the advantage of this university in social sciences. All of our institutions must support you in this direction.
WE ARE HONORED TO SEE OUR PRESIDENT AT OUR UNIVERSITY
Going up to the rostrum to deliver the opening speech, the Chancellor of our University Prof. Dr.Serdar Bedii Omay provided information about the studies of our University, and expressed his pleasure to see our President Mr. Abdullah Gül among us at the opening of the new academic year.
Following the speech of our Chancellor Prof. Dr. Serdar Bedii Omay, Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem went up to the rostrum to deliver his speech. Noting that new visions must be introduced for new projects, Erdem said everyone must do their part in contributing to the houses of science, such as universities.
Finally, our President Mr. Abdullah Gül honored the rostrum to address the audience. In his speech, our President stated that the universities were no more constrained into narrow boundaries today; instead, they are being transformed into dynamic, discussing, talking, competing universities that are developing science. Pointing that some universities would be outstanding while some might be on average, Gül said this was natural and not everyone may become the first.
Gül pointed that competition would be the utmost driving power for progress and perfection.
Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem and IMKB Vice President Adalet Polat receiving their plaques from President Abdullah Gül
THERE IS A HUGE POTENTIAL AT MARDIN ARTUKLU UNIVERSITY
Emphasizing the huge potential of Mardin Artuklu University, our President Mr. Abdullah Gül added:
"This land addresses Mesopotamia. It addresses not only Turkey, but also the entire region. Our Muslim, Syriac and Christian citizens all together contributed to this land. Prominent scientists have come to this region, large madrasas were opened. Today, all these come to life once again, and exceptional studies are being conducted in this regard. Therefore, this university is a very good candidate to become a real social sciences university. Just as each institution, country and city, universities may also bring one subject to the forefront by comparative advantage. Some have the opportunity to advance in technology since their facilities serve in this direction; and some have the opportunity to progress in medicine. You may also do this, but some universities have an body of knowledge coming from the surroundings. I see the advantage of this university in social sciences. All of our institutions must support you in this direction. In social sciences, in which I also include architecture, this university may become a desired university that largely contributes to science. All of our institutions must support you in this direction.”
GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HELD WITH ENTHUSIASM
Following the speeches, our President Mr. Abdullah Gül, his Reverend Spouse/Madam Hayrünnisa Gül, Member of Parliament from Mardin Asst. Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Yüksel, Member of Parliament from Mardin Gönül Bekin Şahkulubey, Mardin Governor Hasan Duruer, Mardin Mayor M. Beşir Ayanoglu, our Chancellor Prof. Dr.Serdar Bedii Omay, Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, and Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) Vice President Adalet Polat went up to the stage in order to start the groundbreaking ceremony of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the Chancellor’s Building. The groundbreaking ceremony was held with great enthusiasm, by establishing a live connection via video conference with our Vice Chancellors Prof. Dr. Mustafa Oflaz and Prof. Dr. Kadri Yıldırım, who were present at the campus area.
Protocol members, with our President Abdullah Gül coming first, laying the foundations in live connection with the campus area… The Chancellor of our University, Prof.Dr.Serdar Bedii Omay notes: Eastern and Western Civilizations melting in the same pot in Mardin
Dear our Honorable President, Reverend Madam, Esteemed Participants, Respectable Müftü Efendi, His Nibs Metropolit and Beloved People of Artuk,
All of you are welcome to the opening of 2010-2011 Academic Year and Groundbreaking Ceremony of Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the Chancellor’s Building of Mardin Artuklu University, which is empowered by the tolerance, science and insight of the city that it was born into, and which proceeds step by step in the way of becoming a powerful and productive university of its country, Middle East and finally, of the entire world.
Having carried out academic studies for a long period of time, and in this regard, worked through establishing a free and productive academic environment and a structure valuing science, our Honorable President, who held on to political ethics and courtesy in a period when Turkey has a high momentum of development and progress, and after exhibiting an active and productive political performance with modesty, and in addition to this accumulated knowledge and experience; who now walks before us, his citizens, the public, taking into account the feelings and demands of each citizen of our country as a responsible, dignified and profound statesman, and while doing this, who has received the genuine support and appreciation of everyone; and Reverend Madam, the symbol of Anatolian women in Çankaya, who has received the appreciation of Anatolian people with her sincerity, courtesy and matureness;
You have been so kind to come to Mardin, an epic city, and to participate in this meaningful ceremony of our University as our guests of honor. You are warmly welcome.
Today is a very important and meaningful day for all of us present here. Because we are having the opening of the academic year and the groundbreaking ceremony of two important buildings, which will largely facilitate the growth and development of our University, with the participation of our honorable President, leading us in every field, as well as our prominent guests and beloved students. The first of these two buildings is the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences built by Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, our charitable fellow citizen from Mardin. GENPA Holding Board Chairman and our fellow citizen, Mr. Erdem has put forth great efforts in order to enable the holding of groundbreaking ceremony today. In addition, the construction of our Chancellor’s building, which will carry the major load of our administrative functioning, has been undertaken by Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), which is the locomotive power of Turkish economy, and which made a distinguished name with its social responsibility projects. We owe a debt of gratitude both to Mr. Erdem and to IMKB Board of Directors. The first and foremost thing to do is the expression of this debt of gratitude.
We have to orient towards medina, coming from the same root with the universal, namely the civilization, instead of the city, which is interested in what it contains. As a city, our target must be to transform into a medina. Dear our Honorable President, Esteemed Participants, My Beloved Students, Mardin Artuklu University,
Is a university, which has well absorbed the cultural and modern values inherited from Syriac, Muslim, Artuklu, Ottoman civilizations and Turkish Republic, and which endeavors to preserve the cultural heritage of Mardin, which has acted as a university-education center for two thousand years and a center of civilization center for seven thousand years; of Nisibis Akademia /Nusaybin Academy, Deyrulzafaran, which have been brought to light by Syriac culture and illuminated the entire world with the light of science; as well as Artuklu Madrasas such as Kasımiye and Zinciriye and Kurdish madrasahs such as Medresâ Sor, which helped Mardin to become a “city” and even a “medina” with the inspiration it received from them and from Muslim civilization.
Mardin Artuklu University,
Is a university, which is determined to carry the history and socio-cultural heritage of Middle East from a local to a universal scale, as a modern, respectable and authentic “university of social sciences”; to become a university of social sciences, which has a proven academic competence at the international level and which is well regarded; and to raise the position of Mardin and its surroundings to a level, which is in line with the original in terms of urban fabric, history-culture and civic awareness and which can express itself. This vision, which we have put forth in the name of our university through intensive consultations within our academic structure, shall greatly contribute to the serenity and happiness of humanity as well as the world of science and education.
City and medina are two words with Arabic origins and may seem to have the same meaning. However, instead of the city, which is interested in what it contains we have to orient towards medina, coming from the same root with the universal, namely the civilization. As a city, our target must be to transform into amedina.
With the superior values it has developed throughout its history, such as its culture of empathy, its tolerance to diversity and the importance given to science and education, Mardin was just like a medina. However, today it has a tendency to return to an ordinary city. Together with the establishment of Mardin Artuklu University, with the vision I specified above, Mardin –has now found the chance to become a medina once more. At this point, the people living in Mardin must not hesitate to interact with the students and academicians coming from outside, as well as the scientific knowledge and accumulation produced by the University. Similarly, our students and academicians must not stand apart from having an appropriate and balanced interaction with the city. Throughout the history, this city has been a prominent city of peace, and in this regard, Mardin has a structure that we can demonstrate as a model to today’s world, which is dominated by a modern type of violence and exploitation culture. Artuklu civilization, which has also given its name to our University, made the largest contribution to the formation of this model. This is a model that we can call Pax- Artukî, which is dominated by peace and empathy culture. Surely, there are many dynamics that brings out, establishes and continues this model. This city, architectured by a Turkish tribe named Artuklu, contains the elements of Syriac culture, ancient Greek philosophy, a strong madrasah tradition maintained by ulema with Kurdish origins, the elements of Muslim civilization, as well as other cultural elements that found life in Mardin and the reforms brought by modern Turkey. There are many prominent scientists grown by Mardin and this geography. This city, this geography had been developed by leading scientists and intellectuals including Mor Yakup, Mor Efrem, Sıbt-el-Mardinî, Ahmede Cezerî, Feqiya Tayran, Ebu'l-İzz el-Cezerî, and Ebulûlâ Mardin. We believe that the boundaries assumed to exist in this geography, are artificial. Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, Erbil, Kum, Shiraz, Tehran... For us, these cities are not farther than Istanbul, Konya and Ankara.
This city, this geography had been developed by leading scientists and intellectuals including Mor Yakup, Mor Efrem, Sıbt-el-Mardinî, Ahmede Cezerî, Feqiya Tayran, Ebu'l-İzz el-Cezerî, and Ebulûlâ Mardin. We believe that the boundaries assumed to exist in this geography, are artificial. Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, Erbil, Kum, Shiraz, Tehran... For us, these cities are not farther than Istanbul, Konya and Ankara.
Dear our Honorable President, Esteemed Participants, My Beloved Students,
As I come to the end of my speech, I would like to give you the good news. This morning, one more name has been included in our supporters, who make great contributions to our University. Our fellow citizen from Mardin, Kabala Mayor Mr. Sakir Nuhoglu, who is well known with his charitable personality with many schools, mosques and classes for Quran courses he has built up to the date, has promised to build a faculty in our University. I would like to thank him in advance at the presence of our President.
Finally, I would like to conclude by extending our thanks to all the persons, who made great efforts in order to enable us to come to this point.
In this scope, I would like extend our thanks to;
Our Honorable President and our Prime Minister,
who made great contributions for the establishment, structuring and development of Mardin Artuklu University, having a history of two thousand years;
Our Ministers, each one of the Members of the Parliament, who made studies in this regard, and particularly the esteemed members of Parliament from our city of Mardin, the President of the Higher Education Council (YOK) and the Board members of YOK, Mardin Mayor, the members of MARSEV and MAREV, the support of whom we have always felt, and of course to those people, who has always kept alive their sense of mission towards the land they were born in, including;
• Mr. Süleyman Bölünmez, who has undertaken the building of the faculty of fine arts, and faculty of literature
• Mr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, who has undertaken the building of the faculty of economics and administrative sciences, and
• Mr. Mithat Yenigün, who has undertaken the building of our Midyat Campus,
• The esteemed President and Board members of Istanbul Stock Exchange, which has undertaken the building of our Chancellor’s Building, and
• The President of Turkish Textile Industry Employers’ Union Mr. Halit Narin and the Board Members, and finally to
• All of our administrative and academic staff, with whom we plan and realize these studies and academic work;
On behalf of Mardin Public and our University.
Mardin public will always remember these names and institutions with gratitude.
I would like to thank once again to our honorable President, who has demonstrated the importance he gave to Mardin and Mardin public by coming here, to our University, and to all of our guests, who came from outside Mardin in order to participate in this ceremony, and extend my salutations and respect to all of you...